Fenlason wrote:MountainBiker wrote:I'm looking for a new Hardtail. Bought a Trek 6 back in 04 and it was a great entry level bike for the dollars. Sold it to a friend who never rides it

but won't sell it back.
Have a limited budget, so can't go carbon fiber.
I have a Specialized Epic full suspension that rides great and has the "brain" at the back..so quick to change for different conditions/rides

Yeah I really don't have any time on the brain.. my bike comes with that now. Except for the weight.. does it feel as efficient as a hardtail?
Depending on how you set the rear shock it rides like a hard tail. I like to set it so I get a little give in the back end, but not too much
The Specialized Epic is a great bike...a little heavy but climbs really well.
I bought it for the longer distance races (50km or 8 hour Solo) as those are the type of races that fit me well. I'm not fast but have good endurance.
The only complaint I have is that the front axel always comes loose and they have never been able to fix it.
I put a Grip shift on the left handle bar and find that works great
I'm not too worried about taking five lbs off the bike...I could lose 10lbs off of me
